STAR YAWNS 4
The Ambassador Dilemma
By David Williams & Sabine Williams
Published by David Williams at Smashwords
Copyright 2012 David Williams
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
Captains Log: Star Date 30.0712:
We are still exploring the Beta quadrant and it has now been four months since we have been home. We have decided that we will head back to the Alpha quadrant after we have made a visit to the next planet we have decided to chart.
The Captain walked into the sick bay in time to hear the doctor singing one of the show tunes from ‘South Pacific’.
“ Doctor, I realise that you are a hologram but do you think it’s appropriate for you to be singing, ‘I’m gonna wash that man right out of my hair’, in front of your patients?”
“ Captain, this is my sick bay and I’ll sing whatever I want, whenever I want. Besides there are no patients.”
“ Alright, let’s drop it. Can you take another look at these spots on my face? I think they’re getting bigger.”
“ Angus Hemorrhoid! I swear that out of five hundred or so potential patients on this ship you are the only one that I see on a daily basis! ” The Doctor folded his arms.
“ Can you just take a look, please? Perhaps some cream will make them go away.”
“ Very well, I will give you some cream, but I can’t guarantee it will clear up your sun spots. You probably got too much sun when you were younger. Is that all?”
The Captain looked slightly uneasy. “ No. I wanted to ask you about Sub-Commander Kazzie-Spockers, I understand you are giving her some advice?”
“ Captain I am not comfortable talking about this. She is seeing me professionally as a psychiatrist. To help her get over her fear of spiders.”
“ You can’t tell me how it’s going then?”
“ No, not really. Although we haven’t had a session as yet, we were all set to have one the other day and we were just getting started when she spotted what she thought was a spider on the ceiling. To cut a long story short she couldn’t get out of my office fast enough. It wasn’t even a spider.”
“ So that’s going well then? He smirked. “ I’d better be going and see what’s happening on the bridge.”
“ What about yourself and Lieutenant Beani-Poohs? How is your romance going? I hope you know, not only am I the ship’s doctor I am a marriage celebrant as well.”
“ I’ll keep that in mind,” he said shortly. He started to head for the door.
“ You don’t seem very enthusiastic about the subject of your romance?”
He paused and turned back. “ Please don’t call it a romance. It’s hardly come to that yet. It’s all happened too fast for my liking. I am going to tell her that I need to take a time out for a while.”
“ Why, what’s happened to make you pull back this way?”
“ It’s personal! I don’t want to go into it just now, but my trouble is that I don’t want to hurt her feelings either.”
“ Would you like me to tell her that you have cold feet?”
“ No, please don’t. I will tell her in my own time.”
He headed for the door.
“ Don’t take too long,” The Doctor called out after him, “ The longer you wait the more she will be hurt. Mark my words.”
Ignoring these last words, the Captain walked out of sick bay and headed up to the bridge.
* * * *
The Captain stepped out of the turbo lift just as Mr. Sook looked around.
“ I’m glad to see you Captain. I was just about to call you.”
“ Well I’m here Mr. Sook, what seems to be the problem?”
“ We have a small space ship dead ahead. It’s about ten thousand kilometers and closing.”
“ Nothing to be concerned about, I’m sure.”
The Captain sat down on his chair.
“ They are charging weapons sir,” said Ensign Follicle.
“ That’s odd,” remarked the Captain.
“ According to my scans of this space ship, it has only one alien onboard and this ship is incapable of presenting any type of threat to this ship,” said Mr. Sook.
“ Raise shields! Let’s hail him, and see what all the commotion is about.”
“ Aye, sir.”
The Captain spoke. “ This is Captain Angus Hemorrhoid of the star ship DVD from the Federation of Planets. We are on a peaceful mission of exploration, be aware that we mean you no harm.”
An alien appeared on the screen and angry was the only way you could describe him. “ Do not come any closer, I am ready to destroy your ship.”
The Captain turned to Mr. Sook. “ I thought you said his weapons could not destroy us?”
“ I did say that and I meant it, he could fire on us all day and hardly make a dent.”
“ Captain! Captain Hemorrhoid I can hear what you’re saying,” yelled the alien.
“ Oops, I forgot to mute the sound,” the Captain grimaced at Mr. Sook.
“ I saw you just then, you intended to let me hear what you were saying. If you are doing this to make me angrier than I am you have succeeded. Prepare to be fired upon.”
With that the alien started firing phasers at the star ship.
“ Should we respond?” asked Ensign Follicle.
“ Negative, my guess is that this alien will get tired and go away before long.”
Twenty minutes later he was still firing on them.
“ How are our shields Mr. Sook?”
“ They are at ninety-nine percent and holding.”
The Captain tried hailing him again. “ Please stop firing, if anything this is getting irritating.”
There was no response.
“ Ensign Follicle target the weapons array on that ship with a low yield phaser burst. I’m going to force him to stop firing.”
The DVD fired at the ship and the next thing they saw was an explosion.
“ Captain that ship is about to blow up,” said Ensign Follicle.
“ Lock onto the alien and beam him aboard.”
“ Aye, Aye sir.”
A few moments later the space ship was completely destroyed.
“ The alien is now in transporter room three sir.”
“ Beam him straight to the Brig. Now what happened, did you misfire?”
“ No sir, I did exactly what you told me to do. I targeted his weapons array. I must have hit a bomb or something. I can’t explain it.”
“ What he says is correct Captain,” said Mr. Sook “ everything was done as per your instructions.”
The Captain thought for moment. “ Don’t worry, I was just making sure we did the right thing. I better go and have a word with this angry alien.”
* * * *
Mr. Sook accompanied the Captain to the Brig to see the alien. As they entered they could see that their visitor looked just as angry as he had previously.
The alien was a strange looking man who had what looked like an egg on his head and the egg had hair on it.
“ Thank you for blowing up my ship! What am I supposed to do now? I lived on that ship for almost two decades and now I have nothing.”
The Captain hardly knew what to say. “ I am sorry for what has happened. We were only trying to get you to stop firing at us. It was never my intention to destroy your space craft.”
“ Well you have now and how do you say sorry? By imprisoning me!”
“ We are willing to let you out of the Brig, if you can control your temper and give us your word you will do no harm. What is your name, and where are you from?”
“ My name is Manzanna and I am from a planet many light years from here.”
“ Why are you so far from home?”
“ I am a trader of sorts and I travel from world to world selling my goods. Everything I had in the whole universe was on that ship and now it’s all gone! Everything I have to show for my whole life! Thankyou again Captain! “ He was very sarcastic, “You’ve really done me a disservice.”
Mr. Sook walked over to the controls for the Brig and turned off the force field. Before anybody could say anything Manzanna lunged at Mr. Sook and tried to grab his phaser pistol. Mr. Sook quickly gave him the Vulcan neck brace and the alien fell down unconscious.
When Manzanna awoke he was back in the Brig. He sat up groggily and then saw that Mr. Sook and the Captain had waited for him to come to.
“ So it doesn’t look like we will be trusting you after all Mr. Manzanna. You will remain in the Brig until we get to the next planet where we will hand you over to the authorities.”
Manzanna’s expression had lost all anger. He was obviously very distressed as he burst out: “ No! You must not do that! I will cooperate from now on. I give you my word I will cause no further trouble. Please don’t hand me over to the authorities on that planet.”
“ And what planet would that be? You know this area well Mr. Manzanna. What is it you fear?”
Manzanna went quiet for a moment. “ You’re right I have been there before, the planet is called Salvaje and I would rather not show my face there again.”
“ You’ll have to do better than that Mr. Manzanna. If you are a wanted man on that planet we will be only too happy to hand you over.”
Manzanna went quiet again. “ Believe what you like, I just don’t want to go there. I would prefer to be alone now.”
“ Of course, we will leave you alone now.” The Captain agreed smoothly and preceded Mr. Sook back towards the turbo lift.
“ I’m not happy with how things stand with this alien Mr. Sook. What does your Vulcan logic tell you about him?”
“ I’m inclined to think he might be on the run from the people of that planet. Perhaps he’s an escaped criminal.”
“ I hope it isn’t as grim as you think. I think I will assign Ensign Lid-Lidia to look in on him and hopefully learn his true story. Let’s head back to the bridge.”
* * * *
It was about half an hour later when Lid-Lidia walked into the Brig. As she came through the door she was shocked to see the alien trying to hang himself with torn up sheets he had taken off the bed. When he saw her enter the room he already had the sheet around his neck so he jumped off the bed.
Lid-Lidia immediately leaped forward and quickly turned off the force field and she cut him down with her phaser pistol. The alien fell to the floor choking. She quickly called the Doctor, who appeared immediately.
“ We had better have him beamed to sick bay,” the Doctor said “ we can monitor him more closely there and we can keep him contained in a force field.”
“ That sounds like a good idea,” Lid-Lidia agreed “ I hate to think what would have happened if I had been held up by a few minutes.”
Before long Manzanna was lying on a bed in the sick bay. The Captain had been informed and was talking to the Doctor near the doorway.
“ We’re going to have to monitor this alien until we can unload him at the planet we’re heading towards in two days. When his space ship blew up I had no idea that he was suicidal, we naturally all thought it was an accident.”
“ Off course you did, no one could know what this man’s intentions were. Don’t worry Captain he will be monitored around the clock until we arrive.”
“ Thankyou Doctor, I appreciate all the work you do.”
“ Well you could try telling me things like this more often, everyone on this ship usually takes me for granted.”
The Captain rolled his eyes. “ Alright Doctor, we’ll all try and praise you more often.”
The doctor knew the Captain was being sarcastic. “ Yes please do, praise is what I need.”
The Captain laughed to himself as he walked down the corridor.
* * * *
It was a few hours later when Lid-Lidia came in to the sick bay to visit Manzanna. He had seen her coming but he decided to pretend he was asleep to avoid looking at her. She walked around the bed and noticed his eye open and knew he wasn’t asleep.
“ I have to tell you that you really gave me a turn this afternoon. My hands are still shaking even though so many hours have passed.”
The alien said nothing, now keeping his eye shut.
Lid-Lidia waited a moment for the alien to say something but when there was just silence, she continued. “ I can’t imagine why a person would try and commit suicide? When I first saw you this morning I thought you were really tough but now I realize you are a very desperate character. I feel a little sorry for you if you think killing yourself is the only answer to your problems.”
This got the alien’s attention. “ Who are you to say this to me? You don’t even know me, and you don’t know what I have been doing or what I have been going through. You don’t know me at all.”
“ You’re right I don’t know you, but I have to ask you a question. Did you rig it so we would blow up your ship?”
The alien turned his head away. “ Yes I did, but I never dreamed you would transport me aboard your ship. I thought I would be killed.”
“ It’s just lucky for you that Star Fleet has such sophisticated technology.”
“ Yes it just makes me so happy!” There was sarcasm in his voice, and then he pretended to go back to sleep.
Lid-Lidia gave a sigh. “ Don’t do that, I would like to talk to you and maybe you may not feel so bad.”
“ There is nothing we can talk about that will do that.”
“ Let me introduce myself. I am Ensign Lid-Lidia and usually I work on the bridge and help navigate the ship. I am also assigned to work in the sick bay with the Doctor as his nurse. I have some medical training.”
The alien turned back to face Lid-Lidia. “ You are an impressive soul. I am Manzanna as you probably already know and I am a trader.”
“ Are you a wanted man?”
Manzanna began to laugh. “ I might as well tell you. If your Captain is planning to hand me over to the authorities on Salvaje you will find out soon enough. I am a wanted man on that planet but no other. I am not a criminal. I have never killed anybody and I have never stolen anything.”
“ But you are wanted on that planet.”
Manzanna nodded his head. “ Yes it’s true.”
Lid-Lidia looked confused. “ I don’t understand any of this. If you’re not wanted for a serious crime why are you trying to kill yourself? It makes no sense to me.”
“ Not to you or to anybody else, including me.” Manzanna started to loose control and he looked like he was about to start crying.
Lid-Lidia walked over to the replicator.
“ A glass of water, cold,” she said.
Then she walked back and handed it to Manzanna.
“ Why don’t you tell me the whole story,” she said in a soft voice.
He took a sip of the water. “ You just want something you can report to your Captain.”
Lid-Lidia nodded. “ Yes it’s true, the Captain did ask me to keep you company, but if you want me to maintain confidentiality then I won’t utter a word.”
Manzanna went quite for a moment. “ Alright I will tell you. Perhaps it will make me feel better if I say it out loud.”
He paused, then with a sigh, continued “ My story starts eighteen years ago. I was a different person back then, I was a family man and I was very happy. My wife and I had one daughter whose name is Bex.
” He paused for a moment. “ My mother said to me when I was young never to be too happy because it will never last. You know, when she told me that I did not believe her but I do believe her now. I regret that she was right.
“Anyway as I said we were a happy family until one night my wife was killed in an accident. These things happen all the time but I never thought it would happen to me. So now I had to raise my two-year-old daughter by myself. My parents had died already, so had my wife’s parents and neither of them had any brothers or sisters. Being a trader was a bad business to be in with a daughter to raise. At first I took her on trips with me but it just was not working. I tried hiring people to look after her, but it was too expensive.”
The alien sat up and sighed heavily as he continued his tale.
“ Then I heard of this school on Ramas. That’s a planet in this system. It’s an amazing place, the whole planet is given over to education. There are many educational facilities and is very expensive. Only the best families send their offspring there for a complete education, in almost any subject you can imagine. If you can afford it, you can put your child in a school there and they educate and raise your child for you, while teaching morals and ethics as well. It seemed like the perfect solution to my problem. I managed to raise the money by borrowing from people I knew. Some of them were of an unsavory nature, if you know what I mean. “
Lid-Lidia nodded. “ I can imagine what you mean. What happened then?”
Manzanna sighed again. He looked miserable. “ So, my daughter was almost three when I started her at the school. At first I would visit her every now and then. On one visit I noticed some of the other families giving me disapproving looks because I was not of the same class as they were. I have never been the type of person to worry about such things as appearance or class distinctions, but I realised that in time, my daughter would be embarrassed by me when she was a bit older. So I would contact her by other means. I made up a story that the reason I was not visiting her was because I had become an ambassador and was too busy with diplomatic events.”
Lid-Lidia interrupted. “ I still don’t understand why you’re a wanted man?”
“ I am getting to that. The years went by and I only spoke to her on a visor and when I did I would either borrow some clothes or I would make sure I was not visible to her. She could only hear my voice. Well, that worked for awhile. Then two years ago she was due to graduate and they were holding the ceremony on Salvaje. It was a big event and I was determined not to miss it. I was without funds at the time because whenever I needed money I would borrow from these people and because I always had to pay more back than I borrowed I never had any money of my own for very long.”
“ My planet got rid of money about two or three centuries ago.”
“ I wish we would. So there I was without money and with nothing but old clothes. I did not want to embarrass Bex. I might mention at this point that I have never come clean and told Bex that I was not an ambassador, so she was expecting more than just an old trader as a father. I had been lying to her for much too long. I tried to rent an outfit an ambassador might wear but it was much too expensive. While I was in the store I ask the retailer who I might mention is a very wealthy man and with much influence, if I could borrow the outfit and told him I would pay him later, it would be just for an afternoon. He laughed at me and poked fun so I punched at him and I hit him in the face. He had me arrested for assault, but I managed to get away and that is why I am a wanted man. If there is an arrest order for you on this planet it could be twenty years later and they will still be after you.”
“ So you missed your daughters ceremony?”
“ Actually, I did not miss it. I watched it from a tree, some distance away. I had a long distance visual aid and I observed the whole ceremony. I was worried I would not recognize Bex at first, but I saw her and she was beautiful, just like her mother. She kept looking around the whole time, I think she was looking for me.”
Lid-Lidia nodded. “ I see. You are wanted on Salvaje for assault, and you have been lying to your daughter for most of her life. I get all that! But I don’t understand why you feel the need to take your own life? None of this makes sense to me.”
Manzanna paused again. “ I have not told this part yet. About six months ago my daughter met a man and he comes from a very prominent family on Salvaje. About a month ago he asked her to marry him, and she said yes.”
Lid-Lidia shook her head. “ I still don’t get it?”
“ His family think that I am an ambassador - not some lowly trader. She wants me to come to Salvaje in two days time and meet her fiancée and the family she is marrying into. “
Manzanna shook his head, distressed and burst out: “I could not face her after all this time! No! Not and have her look at me and see nothing but a liar! I cannot do that to her. I thought if she heard I was killed by star ship fire she might not think so badly of me. The truth need not even come out and she could just go on with her life. But that did not work out so well. And that is not the worst of it. If I were dead it would not concern me but now…. well, when the ship exploded I lost some expensive cargo that I was carrying so now I will have to pay back some more money for the cargo. I am in so much trouble!
Lid-Lidia was quiet and then she said softly, “ Do you really think that would have been the best way? Please don’t tell me that your daughter would be proud if she thought you had hanged yourself?”
“ No, I know that was a stupid thing to do but I felt desperate at the time. By then I was not thinking clearly, I didn’t know where to turn. I promise I will never do it again. I suppose I will just have to face up to the fact that my daughter will be disappointed and learn to live with it. If only I had done things differently the situation would not be so dire now. I have been living a lie, so now I must make amends.”
To Lid-Lidia’s horror, Manzanna started to cry. “ I’m so stupid! I don’t deserve to have such a lovely daughter. If only I could convince your Captain to take me somewhere else. To see Bex under these circumstances would be more than I could bear.”
The tears rolled down his face and he looked physically ill.
Lid-Lidia sat quietly in sympathy for a while. “ I’m going to see the Captain and perhaps I can get him to let you have some quarters and not have to go back to the Brig. I just have to convince him that you are not a threat to yourself anymore.”
Manzanna looked at her, mopping his face. “ That would be a very nice thing to do. I thank you for your kindness. What did you say was your name?”
“ It’s Lid-Lidia, but you can call me Lid. I be back in a while.”
“ So you will tell the Captain my story?” he asked dolefully.
Lid-Lidia nodded and put a hand on his shoulder. “ I will, please don’t worry. I’ll do my best to help you. Perhaps we help you with your dilemma.”
She walked out of the sick bay.
Manzanna looked thoughtfully after her and then with another sigh, he lay down and tried to sleep.
* * * *
“ May I see you for a few moments Captain?” asked Ensign Lid-Lidia about ten minutes later on the bridge.
Discerning her expression, the Captain nodded.
“ Come to my ready room and tell me what you have learned.”
He signaled for Beani-Poohs and Mr. Sook to come in as well.
They all took their seats and Lid-Lidia proceeded to tell them the story about Manzanna. When she had finished she thought everybody looked to be sympathetic except Mr. Sook.
“ Will you consider giving him regular quarters Captain?” asked Lid-Lidia.
“ I’m not sure, this doesn’t sound like the alien we encountered at the brig earlier.”
“ I’m convinced he will be no threat to himself anymore. When I left him he was crying.”
“ Are you sure he didn’t make up this story just to gain your sympathy?”
Lid-Lidia shook her head and smiled. “ If he did, he succeeded. But no, I am convinced. If you could have heard the emotion in his voice when he told me the story you would believe him too. There is no denying that he loves his daughter very much and that he is feeling a level of desperation.“
The Captain thought for a moment. “ Very well, he may have his own quarters but I want security on that floor and I think you should make sure there is nothing in the room he can harm himself with. I just want to make sure nothing happens to him.”
“ What about his request to not be left at Salvaje?”
“ I’ll take that under advisement. I don’t want to make any decisions about this too quickly. Will you find him some quarters Ensign?”
“ Yes sir, I’ll get onto it straight away.”
Lid-Lidia promptly left the room.
“ I suppose we should have had the Sub-Commander in here for this as well.”
“ Don’t worry you can always bring her up to speed later,” said Beani-Poohs.
The Captain scratched his head. “ What do you make of all this? The Ensign seems to think Manzanna is genuine.”
“ It could be that this Manzanna is a con man of sorts,” suggested Mr. Sook.
Beani-Poohs started to stare at them. “ Have you considered that he just might be telling the truth? I know that I am a romantic of sorts but I feel for this alien. His daughter is getting married and instead of being as pleased as punch the poor man is trying to kill himself. I think we should do something to help him.”
The Captain snorted. “ What could we possibly do to help him? He lied to his daughter for eighteen years and now he has to face the consequences. I see it two ways - he comes clean and asks her to forgive him or he disappears and never sees her again. That’s how I see it.”
“ Why does it have to be so cut and dried?”
“ Because those are the only two options open to the man.”
Beani-Poohs went quiet for a moment while she was thinking. “ Captain I have an idea, but I’m not sure that you will like it. It explores a third option.”
“ Then don’t tell me, I already know I’m not going to like it.”
Beani-Poohs started to laugh and Mr. Sook raised one eyebrow. “ No I’m going to tell you anyway, it’s a wild idea but I think we could pull it off.”
“ Now I know I don’t want to hear it.”
Beani-Poohs ignored him. “ My idea is that we clean up Mr. Manzanna and dress him like an ambassador. The Sub-Commander and Mr. Sook are both familiar with protocol dilemmas and can assist him with the customs of this planet. It would not take them long to upload the information they require to the central computer and access that information on the aliens behalf.”
“She is right, I have dealt with many ambassadors before,” Mr. Sook assured the Captain.
“ We can replicate an ambassador’s outfit. Then we contact the planet and invite the wedding party up to the ship and we put on an elaborate reception for them, one that befits someone of his station in life. We can make up a story for the reason why Manzanna cannot go down to the planet. Manzanna will be able to finally get to know his daughter a little. When it’s over we take Manzanna to another planet and we go back to the Alpha quadrant. What do you think?”
The Captain first looked at Mr. Sook and then at Beani-Poohs. “ I’m speechless, what do you think Mr. Sook?”
Mr. Sook thought for a moment. “ It’s an intriguing idea and not without merit.”
The Captain broke in. “ I can not believe you’re considering this crazy idea. There is no way we could possibly pull this off and if it went wrong, can you understand the ramifications it would cause? We would be branded liars and our presence here in the Beta quadrant would be compromised. If Star Fleet found out I would be in big trouble, I could even be court-martialed. The whole thing is out of the question.”
“ But we could do it.” Beani-Poohs was smiling from ear to ear. “ Just think how happy you would make you make that poor suicidal alien. If we did this for him he would never even consider doing anything drastic like that ever again.”
The Captain started to stand up and then sat down again. “ You’re out of your mind and you’re trying to make me crazy too. Well I won’t give in, the answer is a resounding NO!”
He stood up again.
“ Don’t stand up Captain, I’m the one whose leaving.” Beani-Poohs got up and walked towards the door as the Captain slumped back in his chair. “ This is going to be great. We are all going to have a wonderful time. I’ll see you later Mr. Sook and you too Angus. I hope you don’t mind but I think I’m going to call you Gus, It’s much nicer. I have such a lot of work to do.”
With that she left the room.
The Captain looked at Mr. Sook who was giving him a strange look. “ Well I told her! I’m not the type of person that lets a female walk all over him. When I put my foot down it stays down. I am the Captain of this vessel and my word is law.”
With no expression whatsoever Mr. Sook said. “ So we’re going to have a reception for Mr. Manzanna it seems.”
The captain started to hit his own head on the table.
“ It certainly looks that way.”
* * * *
Kazzie-Spockers wandered into the sick bay to see the Doctor.
“ I am ready for my next session,” she said.
“ Technically this is your first session, we didn’t actually have the first, you will recall.”
“ That is of no consequence. I’m here now so let us begin immediately.”
“ Okay then, take a seat in my office and I’ll be right with you.”
Kazzie-Spockers walked into his office and lay down on the couch.
The Doctor walked into the office very briskly a few moments later. “ Take a look at the ceiling. You’ll notice the black smudge on the ceiling has been cleaned off. I had it done just for your benefit.”
“ Thankyou, let’s get started.”
The Doctor stared at her for a moment. “ You seem a bit stressed, is it too soon to be doing this since the last time you came in?”
“ I do not get stressed. It is illogical. No, let’s just get to it. If you think you can help me I think the logical thing to do is to accept your help.”
“ Well said Sub-Commander. Let’s get started.”
Just then a crewmember knocked on the door. “ Oh wonderful, we have an interruption already!” The Doctor said, annoyed
It was Yeoman Amsterdam. “ What can I do for you Yeoman? Make it quick, we are very busy here.”
“ I just wanted to tell you we are having a film night tonight and you’re both invited if you would like to come.”
“ What are you showing?”
“ We are showing two films from the twentieth century. First we are showing ‘Arachnophobia’, followed by ‘The Giant Spider Invasion’.”
The doctor rolled his eyes. “ What a delightful evenings entertainment you are going to have. No, I think I’m busy tonight. What about you Sub-Commander?”
As he looked around to ask Kazzie-Spockers he saw she was gone.
He turned back to the crewmember, irritated. “ Please leave! Another session has been ruined!” he muttered.
* * * *
Beani-Poohs found Lid-Lidia on Deck 15 settling Manzanna into his quarters.
“ Please sit down Mr. Manzanna I have something I want to discuss with you.” Beani-Poohs said encouragingly.
Manzanna looked at her with tears in his eyes. “ Before you do I want to tell that I am overwhelmed with these quarters. Please tell your Captain how thankful I am and that I will be no trouble from now on. He will hardly even know I am on this ship and please just call me Manzanna, that is my only name.”
“ As you wish, and I will be happy to convey your message to the Captain. Now there is something I would like to discuss with you and I’m hoping you will be delighted with what I am going to say.”
“ There is nothing you could say that would upset me now, I am overwhelmed with happiness.”
Lid-Lidia and Beani-Poohs exchanged glances. They both sat down next to the alien, who was wiping his eye again.
“ I have been talking to the Captain and we are willing to have your daughter and the whole wedding party beam up here to the DVD to have a type of reception for her engagement. Before you say anything be aware that we are going to give you a make over.”
Manzanna’s mouth opened and shut. “ You are?” A reception, here? What is a make over?”
“ We are going to make over your appearance and help you to pretend to be an ambassador so that you can impress your daughter and her family to be.”
“ Are you saying that you want me to pretend to be an ambassador?” Manzanna was stunned as he grasped what she was saying.
“ Yes, that is what I am saying.”
Unexpectedly Manzanna burst out: “ No! I won’t do it. I just cannot! A deception of this scale is impossible! I could never pass as such an important person for a whole reception. What if I do something wrong? These are educated sophisticated people and they would see right through this ruse.”
“ Please, do not alarm yourself Manzanna. We would help you and we have enough time to instruct you in the customs of these people. Believe us, you will carry off the part of an ambassador, your daughter and her fiancée and the other guests will not think anything but what we wish them to because they will not be expecting anything else.”
Manzanna got up and paced across the room. “ I don’t know! I will have to think about this. I don’t like to act out such a huge lie… but on the other hand I may never see Bex again. Please let me think for a while and I will let you know.”
“ Don’t think about it too long, we will be arriving at Salvaje the day after tomorrow and we will have a lot of preparation to see to.”
Lid-Lidia and Beani-Poohs left the quarters and Manzanna deep in thought.
“ Do you think he will agree?” asked Beani-Poohs.
Lid-Lidia nodded. “ I think so. He loves his daughter very much. It is almost too irresistible. It’s a very good idea.”
“ Thank you. Sometimes I even surprise myself.”
* * * *
The Captain found Beani-Poohs in the mess room having a drink with Lid-Lidia.
“ How did it go?” he asked. “ Did Manzanna agree to this elaborate scheme of yours?”
Beani-Poohs took a sip of her drink and sighed. “ He’s thinking about it.”
“ He’s a bit hesitant to do something like this,” said Lid-Lidia.
“ You know, I’ve been thinking about it and I don’t blame him for not being as thrilled as we thought he might be,” continued Beani-Poohs “ he doesn’t want to go on lying to his daughter. I have to respect the man for that.”
The Captain sat down. “ Don’t worry, he will probably change his mind by tomorrow.”
“ What makes you say that?”
“ Right now he will be weighing things up. This may his last chance to ever see his daughter and I’m thinking he will not want to pass that up. So even though you know I am against all this you can start making preparations for this reception as soon as he says yes."
They both beamed at him. The Captain sighed to himself. He was not as thrilled about the idea, even now.
“ I’m off to bed now,” said Lid-Lidia, “ see you both in the morning.”
When she was gone, the Captain said, “ I’m glad we’re alone. I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“ I know, you wanted to tell you don’t want to be called Gus. You also didn’t like the way I didn’t listen to you before when I told you my idea concerning the alien.” She smiled at him.
The Captain stood up suddenly. “ Would you like another drink, I think I would like one.” He came back a few moments later with the drinks. “ Actually that wasn’t the reason I wanted to talk to you. I don’t mind being called Gus at all and as for the other reason I think you’re clever enough to know when you’re over stepping yourself with the Captain…and not the man.”
Beani-Poohs took a drink. “ So what were you going to tell me?” She looked a little concerned now.
“ I don’t really know how to say this so I’m just going to say it straight out.”
“ Are you breaking up with me?”
The Captain reached across the table and put his hand on hers. “ No, that wasn’t it, not at all.”
Beani-Poohs looked at him in that direct way that often disconcerted him. “ Then what?”
He cleared his throat. “ Please don’t take this the wrong way...I enjoy your company and I am happy to spend time with you…but...things seem to be progressing a little bit too….” He hesitated.
She sat back and slid her hand away from his. “ Are things going too fast for you?” she asked a little coolly.
He looked at her. “ Yes. They are. I wish to proceed more slowly, if that meets with your approval.”
Beani-Poohs said nothing for a moment, then as if she had suddenly made up her mind about something, she silently gave a little sigh. “ If that is all that is worrying you, then I don’t mind about that. We can take things slower if it will make you more comfortable. We are on a star ship in a different part of the galaxy and we may be here for a long time. There is plenty of time.”
“ So you don’t mind at all?” he looked relieved.
Beani-Poohs stared at him. It was not quite clear what the expression on her face was but she said calmly, “ No, not really. If we are to be together I want it to happen because we both want it.”
For a few moments there was a silence at the table.
He took another drink. “ There is something about me that I have never told you before.”
“ Oh really! You’re not Captain Hemorrhoid, you’re his evil twin?” she chuckled.
The Captain laughed, relieved that they seemed to be back to their normal relaxed selves. “ I was married once, not many people know about that.”
“ I had no idea, what happened?” she was frankly stunned and trying to hide it.
The Captain shrugged.
“ She was my childhood sweetheart and we were inseparable. We knew we would be together from the age of eight or nine and we were married as soon as we were old enough. I thought that no one would ever know me the way that she did or I, her. We had only been married about two weeks, in fact we were just back from the honeymoon when we started having trouble.
The Captain shifted in his chair, a little embarrassed. “ Inexplicably she began saying that she thought we had rushed into the marriage and that she was unhappy that she would never be able to experience interactions with other men, that we were so young to be tied down for the rest of our lives. She moaned about this for almost six months and one day I came home and she was gone. She had moved out while I was at the academy. She divorced me soon after that and I have been disillusioned about getting married ever since. I am very easily wary of any potential relationship.”
Beani-Poohs listened to his story and felt empathy for him. “ Don’t worry,” she said “ I’m not going anywhere. We’ll take things at a snail pace from now on and I’ll get you some thick socks if you need them.”
“ What?” the Captain looked puzzled.
“ For your cold feet.”
The Captain breathed a sigh of relief. Her humour was one of the things he liked best about her. That and her understanding nature. All in all it had gone much better than he could have hoped.
* * * *
Beani-Poohs and Lid-Lidia were both at Manzanna’s door early the next morning.
“ Come in,” he called. He had been waiting for them.
Beani-Poohs didn’t wait for them to be settled before she asked. “ Please tell us what is your decision?”
“ My answer is yes, I cannot pass up an opportunity to see my daughter. In fact tomorrow seems so far away, it cannot happen fast enough for me now. When can we begin?”
The two girls both smiled at each other. “ This going to be such fun,” said Lid-Lidia.
“ We’ll get started right after breakfast,” said Beani-Poohs “ one of us will come back and take you to Deck 12 to get your hair done and a manicure. Then we will have a fitting for your Ambassador outfit. In the meantime Mr. Base is going to program holodeck 2 to be our ballroom for the reception. So have your breakfast and we’ll be back in an hour.”
Manzanna nodded his head. “ I am so anxious to get started, I do not know if I will be able to eat.”
Four hours later Manzanna walked out of his dressing room with his Ambassador outfit on. He walked up and down so those present could see if they approved of the style of the outfit.
“ It looks good to me,’ said the Captain “ I would think he was an ambassador if he beamed onto my ship.”
“ Do you like the way we have had his hair cut?” asked Beani-Poohs.
“ Yes it’s almost like he’s a new man. He doesn’t resemble the man that transported here yesterday at all.”
“ Do you really think so Captain?” asked Manzanna. “ I still feel the same as before. I do hope you are right, it is so very important to me.”
Lid-Lidia smiled at him. “ I agree with the Captain you certainly do look like an ambassador now. So once you learn to act like one nobody will doubt you for a moment.”
The Captain pushed his Comm badge. “ Mr. Base, how is the holodeck coming along?
“ I have almost finished the programming. It will be a grand looking ballroom and I have programmed servants to announce guests, to serve hors d’oeuvres and others who will look after drinks.”
“ What about music, did you think of that?”
“ Yes sir! I have programmed a whole orchestra who will play waltzes, theatrical pieces and modern music as well. I think we will have something for everybody.”
“ Thankyou Mr. Base it looks like everything is going very well.” He tapped his Comm Badge.
“ Now Manzanna take off your outfit so it will stay in good shape for tomorrow. Lieutenant Beani-Poohs will you arrange for the Sub-Commander to instruct us all in the customs in this situation? Especially Manzanna, who will have a few hours of study ahead of him.”
“ Aye, aye sir!” she replied.
* * * *
By the next day everything had been thought of and all preparations were in order for the reception. Manzanna had managed to contact his daughter and invite her and her fiancée as well as her fiancée’s family and their wedding guests.
So with a few minutes before the guests arrived Manzanna was visibly nervous.
“ I do hope I do not do anything to make my daughter ashamed of me tonight,” he said to Ensign Lid-Lidia who was fast becoming his very good friend.
“ I’m sure you won’t, you’ve worked so hard during this time that I’m certain everything will run very smoothly.”
Manzanna nodded at her without speaking, he was becoming emotional again.
A few minutes later Manzanna’s daughter beamed onto the ship along with her fiancée and his family.
When Manzanna saw her he walked straight towards her with tears in his eyes.
“ Bex my beautiful girl, here you are all grown up. Come and hug your Papa.”
She ran towards him and the two embraced. Manzanna had never felt so happy.
Bex was a small girl with a dimple on one side of her face and she had the same egg type head that her father had whereas her fiancée was taller with a very thin face and a pencil thin moustache. He and his family had flat heads.
“ Father!” said Bex “ It is so good to see you after all these years. I have waited so long for this day. This is Maiz, my fiancée, and over here is Naranja his father and Toronja his mother. Three other youths stood behind them. “ These are Maiz’s brothers and sisters.” She proceeded to do the introductions.
The Captain and a few officers were present to greet the guests and they all bowed, as was the custom of the planet.
“ Let us all proceed now to the ballroom where we will begin our reception,” said the Captain.
“ Captain,” said Naranja, the father of Maiz. “ I have some other friends arriving but I fear that they will be slightly delayed. I think they will be here in an hour or two…I beg your forgiveness for their unavoidable delay”
“ No problem at all, we will beam them up when they are ready and some of my crew will escort them to the reception.”
“ Thankyou Captain, you are very gracious, I don’t think I caught your last name.”
“ My name is Angus Hemorrhoid but please don’t hold my name against me. I suppose that’s why I’m not married, nobody wanted to be Mrs. Hemorrhoid.”
The Captain laughed while Naranja gave him a strange look.
“ So how do you know Ambassador Manzanna?” he asked “ I have heard you are from the Alpha quadrant.”
“ It’s true we are from that part of the galaxy and as for Manzanna, we have offered him transport to another destination.”
The Captain cleared his throat. It was, after all, perfectly true.
“ You are giving him transport to another planet?”
“ Yes we are, to, err….” the Captain stumbled.
“ To Karrool,” said Manzanna, who was standing nearby.
“ Oh yes, Karrool. I keep forgetting the names of planets in this quadrant.” The Captain laughed.
On entering the ballroom drinks were served and soft music started to play.
“ Father may I speak to you privately?” Bex said to her father.
“ Certainly,” he said “you are the one I mostly wanted to see anyway.”
They walked over to the other side of the ballroom.
“ Father I am so happy to see you but I have to ask, why did you not come to my graduation two years ago?”
Manzanna looked ashamed. “ I wanted to and I tried my best but I was just not able to be there. My duties keep me so busy.”
” Too busy for your only daughter? “ She looked up at him and laid her hand softly on his arm. “ I did not tell you this Father, but I had planned to leave Salvaje and go with you after the ceremony. I was very distressed when you did not come. For years while I was at school I dreamed of the time when I would be with you again and we would not be separated any more. For as long as I can remember it was all I could think about.”
Manzanna looked choked up. “ I am sorry Bex, my darling daughter! I had no idea of your plans. I have always wanted us to be together as well. If you were not getting married you could come with me now.”
To see father and daughter so obviously feeling emotional choked up more than one person at the reception. The crewmembers averted their eyes discreetly and tried not to eavesdrop but unfortunately not all the guests felt the same.
Before she could answer, her fiancée Maiz had walked over. “ Bex! “ he reproved her sternly, “ As the bride to be you have duties to perform. You are being rude conversing when you should be circulating and welcoming each guest personally. Please come join me now and we shall perform our duties together.”
“ Please Maiz, I was talking to my father. I have not seen him for years,” She looked up at him pleadingly, “ Please understand. We have so much to talk about and so little time together. I may not see him again for years.”
Manzanna nodded, “ It is so. You will have her for the rest of her life but I may only have these precious moments with my one and only child.”
He did not relent. “ The customs must be observed.”
He took her arm and walked her away from her father and as they walked he looked back and gave Manzanna a stern look.
Some of the guests seemed unconcerned with this behaviour but the crewmembers were in full sympathy with Manzanna, who was looking worried and hurt.
“ So Captain how long have you been in the Beta Quadrant?” asked Naranja.
“ We first came into the quadrant about a year ago in a different space ship and then I was given command of this state of the art vessel and asked to come back and do some up to date charting of the planets and the stars. This time around we have been here about four months.”
“ So what do you think of our quadrant so far?”
“ It’s been interesting, about two months ago we visited a planet they call Ponderosa where the people who live there are like spirits and can create almost anything with there minds. Then we went to a planet called Kardella which I don’t remember all that vividly, but the people there like to play games.”
“ Oh yes I have heard of Kardella, people I know who have been there say you can’t hardly breath from an awful smell that fills the air."
“ Something about that sounds familiar.” The captain agreed.
Just then dinner was announced.
Everybody picked up their drink and strolled into a very large room with a huge dining table, which spanned almost the entire length of the room. High back chairs were positioned all around the table. Within a few minutes everybody was seated at the banquet table and the food waiters came in to serve.
On seeing the food Naranja’s wife stood up. “ Salvaje women like to serve their men,” she said. “ It is a custom on our planet.”
At first Bex had not stood up but when she received a look of displeasure from her fiancée she stood up to serve him.
Manzanna hid his displeasure as he watched his daughter serve this conceited looking man. He had been so excited earlier to see her and now he was worried his daughter was going to marry a man he did not like at all.
He wondered that he might be making this kind of conclusion about the man too quickly. He would be watching Maiz closely for the rest of the night.
* * * *
They had just finished dinner and were walking back to the ballroom when the other guests were announced. When Manzanna saw one of the arrivals he grabbed Lid-Lidia by the arm and led her back to the dining room.
“ Is something wrong?” asked Lid-Lidia “ I have noticed you have been looking a little worried during dinner.”
Manzanna took another look through the doorway and turned back to Lid-Lidia.
“ One of the men who just arrived is the wealthy store owner I told you about the other day.”
“ Are you sure?” She was stunned.
“ Yes I will never forget his face. If he sees me this charade is over and he will call the authorities to come up here and arrest me. I was nervous before but now I can not stop shaking.”
Lid-Lidia rubbed his arm. “ Look just stay here for the moment and I will tell the Captain and the Lieutenant. They will know what we can do. Please don’t lose control, it won’t do you any good. We will work this out.”
She walked over to the Captain and whispered a few words in his ear and then she did the same with Beani-Poohs.
The Captain promptly left the room whereas Beani-Poohs walked over to the dining room with Lid-Lidia.
“ Manzanna the Ensign has told us your trouble and I have some advice for
you,” said Beani-Poohs.
“ Where did the Captain go?”
“ Don’t worry about that. Now I want you to take a deep breath and go in there and introduce yourself to the new guests.”
“ But he will recognise me.”
“ That might happen but if you are convincing as the Ambassador he may not. He may be confused but not have the courage to challenge you. It is a risk we must take. You can’t hide in here or the other guests will be suspicious something is wrong”
“ You can not be serious. The moment he sees my face and my egg shaped head he will remember me. I can guarantee it. Everything will be ruined and my darling daughter will never want to see me again.”
“ Manzanna pull yourself together. Do you remember all the training you had yesterday on how to be an Ambassador? The Sub-Commander spent a very long instructing you.”
“ Yes she did.”
“ Now you have to become an Ambassador for real. You can do this. Tonight you ARE an Ambassador. You have to become an actor and play the part of your life.”
“ Do you really think I can do this?”
“ Do you remember when we first met and you were charging your weapons the other day? You were aggressive and you looked aggressive. Now you have to step up again and be an Ambassador. Now go.”
With that she gave Manzanna a push to make him walk out the door.
Manzanna took a deep breath and walked quickly over to the guests. “ My apologies. I was elsewhere with other guests when you arrived. My name is Manzanna and I am the father of Bex.” He stood tall in his regal robes and spoke with real authority. No one looking at him would believe him to be anything else but an ambassador.
The wealthy storeowner shook his hand. “ My name is Cebolla and this is my wife Zanahoria.” He also introduced some other people.
Manzanna bowed towards the man’s wife, as he did this Bex came and stood beside him.
Cebolla looked Manzanna straight in the face. “ You look familiar to me, have we met before? Perhaps you have been to Salvaje before on a diplomatic visit?”
Manzanna looked the man straight in his eyes. “ No, I would have remembered if we had. I have never come to Salvaje in a diplomatic capacity.” he said with perfect truth.
Just then the Captain walked back into the room and more introductions were made.
A few minutes later the Captain stepped up in front of the orchestra. “ May I please have your attention?”
The noisy room quieted down as the guests stopped to listen.
The Captain continued. “ On behalf of myself and the crew we are very happy to have you all here tonight. I would also like to say congratulations to the engaged couple. We have some entertainment for you now. Our own Doctor Flusher has said he would sing us a couple of songs. He is going to sing some tunes from an old earth favorite ‘South Pacific’, but he will start with an operatic song from ‘La Boheme’. After that we will have the orchestra play some waltz tunes so we can dance.”
With that the Doctor took the to the stage and launched into song. The aliens looked mildly amused with his over the top manner.
* * * *
Maiz took Bex by the hand and led her onto the dance floor when the orchestra started to play a waltz. Though they were not waltzing the steps fitted together with the music perfectly.
Manzanna was watching and he hoped he would be able to spend some more time with his daughter before they departed.
Almost all of the guests were dancing except for Cebolla the storeowner, he kept looking at Manzanna and he was not smiling. When the first waltz was over Manzanna quickly walked over to his daughter and asked her if she wanted to dance with him.
“ It is a custom on our planet that the woman will dance with her husband, ”said Maiz arrogantly.
“ You are not married yet,” Manzanna replied, nettled and trying to be polite, “ surely you don’t begrudge a daughter dancing with her own father.”
With that he grabbed Bex and danced off with her. She gave a startled little laugh and then beamed up at her father.
“ I am sorry we have not had a chance to talk much tonight.” He said.
“ I regret this too Father,” she said, looking up at him adoringly, “ this evening is just too short I feel. There is not enough time!”
“ I am thinking the same thing.”
“ After all these years I wish we could have more time together. Maiz is already talking about leaving. I am afraid the customs of this planet are very important to him and his family and the agreement to marry means I am already in wifely submission to Maiz.”
Manzanna thought for a moment. “ I might be able to persuade the Captain into orbiting the planet for another day. Then you can beam up here tomorrow on your own and we can talk.”
“ Oh Father if only I could! But Maiz would never let me do that. On the planet Salvaje being engaged is almost the same as being married and on this planet a man dominates his wife. He says the past is the past and while I should show you all appropriate honour, my place is now with him and I must obey his wish to put him and our life first, from now on.”
“ Is that the sort of life you want?” he asked worriedly, “ I want you to be happy.”
Bex took her time to answer. “ I have loved him for a long time Father and I chose him to be my husband. I knew what I wanted long before we contacted you. He has been good to me, in his own way. He has never held my species against me.”
Manzanna frowned. “ Why should he, my daughter? I have made sure that you could be the equal of any mate you choose.”
Bex beamed up at him, “ I know Father, and I thank you.”
In the next moment the music finished and Maiz walked over to Bex. “ She will dance with me next, ” he said.
Bex obediently let him lead her away, with a quick smile over her shoulder at her father.
The whole time they were dancing Cebolla had been watching Manzanna, wondering where he had seen him before. Then it came to him and he walked over to Naranja, Maiz’s father, and the two of them left the dance floor.
Manzanna watched Cebolla talking to Naranja and occasionally the two them would turn their heads to look at him. Then Naranja walked to the orchestra and they stopped playing. Then he walked over to Manzanna.
“ Is it true that you are not an Ambassador but instead you are a criminal who is wanted for assault?”
The Captain also walked up towards them.
Manzanna sighed. The truth was now out and he must stand his ground, for his daughter’s sake. Praying she would understand, he said: “ Yes it is true. I am not an ambassador, but I am Bex’s father and all I wanted to do was see my daughter.”
Naranja turned to the Captain. “ Were you aware that this man is an impostor?”
There was a swell of voices from the shocked guests at this accusation. Bex and Maiz approached the group and when she would have gone to her father, Maiz grabbed her arm and held her back. She looked at Manzanna whose imploring gaze never left her puzzled face.
“ I had no idea,” replied the Captain “ when we found him his ship was having engine trouble and we offered him transport here. He certainly fooled me.”
“ Well I want him arrested. Call the authorities on Salvaje and you can beam some of them up here to take him into custody.”
Bex cried out “ That isn’t true” but when Manzanna didn’t say a word she held both her hands over her mouth, her face shocked.
“ I’ll get onto it right away.” The Captain walked away from them and tapped his COM badge and spoke to someone, he came back a few moments later. “ One of my men is calling the authorities as we speak. They will be here in a few minutes, I would expect.”
Then the Captain turned to Manzanna. “ So you’re not an Ambassador but you are a wanted man. How could you have fooled us like this? We went to so much trouble for you.”
Manzanna was stunned when the Captain said this to him, all he could do was stand there in disbelief.
They stared at one another and then he turned to his daughter. “ I am sorry Bex, I would never do anything to hurt you, you know that.”
Bex was too shocked to reply. She just stared at her father, who could no longer look at her, for shame.
Maiz turned her half way towards him. “ Don’t worry, when you leave here you never have to see him again. I’ll look after you from now on.”
The guests were all muttering and staring. Lid-Lidia quickly walked over and took Manzanna’s hand. “ Head up Manzanna. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
He held up his head, quiet and not looking at anyone.
A few minutes later the authorities arrived to take Manzanna. Cebolla went to meet them.
“ Is this all there is of you? This man assaulted me two years ago and he has never answered for his crime.”
“ Do not concern yourself Sir. There will be more of us to take him into custody when he arrives on the planets surface.” One of the uniformed guards answered.
“ I’m glad to hear it, I don’t want him getting away this time.”
“ You don’t have to worry Sir, this time he will answer for his crimes.”
As they made to lead Manzanna away he looked at his daughter, who was still standing frozen in one spot. “ Can I please talk to you for a moment before I go?”
Maiz stepped forward so that Bex was behind him. ” I don’t think so. She is in shock and I do not blame her. You shame your daughter. Take him away!”
Manzanna wasn’t too proud to beg. “ Please. Just a moment or two. I may never see my daughter again. Then I will come along quietly.”
The guard said, “ For a few moments only.”
Manzanna walked around the glowering Maiz towards Bex. “ Please talk to me for just a moment.”
Maiz was just about to answer when Bex said. “ Just for a moment.” Her voice was shaking and she was trembling visibly.
Manzanna took his daughter aside. “ I just wanted to tell you I am very sorry you had to find out that I am wanted. It is true I punched Cebolla two years ago when I went to buy an outfit for your graduation ceremony.”
“ So you did try to come to my graduation?” She looked at him beseechingly.
“ Of course I did, I did not want to miss it for the world.”
“ I thought I knew you were there, but then I thought I had imagined it.” She grasped his arm. Her hand was ice cold as he covered it with his. His regret was on his face.
“ Yes I saw you graduate but from a distance. I had been lying to you for so long I did not want you to find out I was only a trader and be disappointed in me.”
She was puzzled. “ But why? I never cared about that sort of thing. I remembered that you were a trader from when I was a little girl.”
Manzanna was almost shocked. “ I thought you would have forgotten about that.”
“ No I can remember almost everything, I can even vaguely remember Mother. My memories were all I had.”
Manzanna pulled her into his arms for a bear hug. “ I am so sorry you had to spend nearly all your life without me, if I could change history I would.”
“ I will come and visit you in prison, I will come every chance I get.” She vowed,
“ I don’t care what Maiz or his parents say. I will come to you Father!”
She was weeping now, the tears rolling down her pale cheeks.
“ Don’t you know I will be sent to the prison planet?”
“ Then I will write to you and I will be there for you when you are released. “ She was sounding desperate now.
“ I am so happy to hear you say that. I have let you down in the past by not being there but I will be with you from now on, if not in person, I will be in your memory. When you have breakfast, I will be there. When you look at the stars, I will be there. When you do mundane things, I will be with you in every part of your life, married or not.”
Bex looked right in her father’s face. “ I can’t believe this has happened, I have waited so long and now I am losing you again!”
Maiz suddenly yanked her away, “ Bex you will come with me now. You have had your chance to say goodbye.”
She looked up at him, shocked.
The uniformed guard intervened before Manzanna or Bex could answer. “ That is enough time. We must leave now. Please come with me Manzanna.”
“ Goodbye my treasure. Always know I am very proud of you.” Manzanna walked out of the ballroom with the guards.
Bex looked visibly upset after he had gone. “ Come over here.” Maiz said to her.
“ Come and stand with me.” She walked over and stood beside him silently, still agitated.
Lid-Lidia could hardly hold back the tears. She walked over to the Captain. “ How could you!” she said and promptly left the ballroom.
The Captain turned to the guests. “ Well it looks like this reception is over. I’ll escort you all back to the transporter.”
Cebolla turned to the Captain. “ I’m so glad I was able to finally make sure that vagabond was arrested. He came into my shop two years ago and as soon as I saw him I thought I must do something to get him arrested. His sort has no place in our society. Did you see his egg head? Decent people like us have flat heads. As soon as I saw him I knew he was no good.”
“ I have an egg head,” said Bex suddenly, turning to him with a scowl, “ does that mean I am no good as well?”
Cebolla just looked at her without answering.
“ I apologise for my affianced bride, sir. She is in shock and doesn’t know what she is doing. With training, she will make up for her ancestry someday,” said Maiz.
Bex turned and stared at Maiz, not hearing a word of what was said around her as she absorbed his meaning.
“ Are you ashamed of me Maiz? she demanded.
Maiz frowned, “ We will not speak of this here. It is not appropriate for you to take that tone with me. You must learn to be obedient, in spite of the blood in your veins. Our offspring will also have to be instructed carefully in life, as their tainted blood could interfere with the forming of their character.”
At hearing this she was extremely angry. “ Captain, would it be permissible for me to remain onboard tonight? I am asking for sanctuary. In light of what has happened I do not feel welcome on the planet below. I don’t want to go back to Salvaje.”
At hearing this Maiz became angry. “ Do not entertain the thought of abandoning your duties and remaining here. I will not tolerate disobedience in a wife.”
“ In that case it is finished.” Bex said angrily. “ I do not know what I was ever thinking of to become engaged to you! What you really want is a servant. At this point I do not care if I never see you again.”
Maiz stiffened with affront and then turned and walked out of the room.
Bex sighed and turned back to the Captain. She lifted her pleading expression to his carefully blank one.
“ Captain may I please stay?”
“ Yes Bex. You have my protection for as long as you need it.”
“ Thank you sir, I will never forget it.”
A few moments later all the guests beamed back down to the planet.
Beani-Poohs comforted Bex. “ Don’t worry, my dear. I have a feeling everything will be alright.”
“ Are you sure? All I want to do is cry, I have no father and I have no fiancée, at this point in time I have no one.” Her head drooped dejectedly.
“ Come my dear, lets see what we can do about some quarters for you.”
“ Thank you, you are so kind.”
* * * *
They and the Captain took the turbo-lift to another deck and then walked along the hallway to a room. He pushed the bell on the door and soon after it opened.
She couldn’t believe her eyes when Manzanna appeared at the door.
“ Father you are here and not in custody!”
Manzanna laughed. “ No; the Captain sent his own crew member, Oh-No the shape shifter to come and arrest me, along with other crew members. I was surprised when he did not take me to the transporter. I just came back to my quarters.”
Bex threw herself at him and hugged him. “ Oh Father! I am overjoyed!”
“ As am I, my darling daughter.”
He looked at the Captain and his crewmembers. “ Thank you Captain…all of you for restoring me to my daughter.”
Manzanna looked down at Bex who was once again beaming.
“ What about Maiz, is he gone?” he asked gently.
Her face clouded and her smile dimmed a little. “ Yes. He did not care anything about me. I have known for quite awhile that we were in trouble. I have no tolerance for the customs of his planet. I don’t like the way they treat females there. I thought I liked the tradition of that but I don’t. Not if I must obey convention and not my heart.”
Just then Lid-Lidia came running down the hallway. “ I just heard that you didn’t go back to the planet,” she said and ran forward to hug him.
“ It’s just as well you didn’t have twins,” said the Captain “ there wouldn’t enough of you for all these women to hug.”
“ I’m sorry I said what I did before Captain,” said Lid-Lidia “ I had no idea you were being tricky.”
“ Is that what you call it? I better give the order to pull away from this planet. The authorities will be contacting us soon to find out what happened to Manzanna. What we need is a bit of distance between us and this planet.”
He headed up to the bridge and before long they were on their way.
* * * *
Mr. Sook walked down the hallway and pushed the doorbell at Kazzie-Spockers quarters. A few moments later she opened the door, “ Mr. Sook!” she exclaimed.
“ I came to visit you Sub-Commander, we have been a little concerned for you. Perhaps you and I could have a talk?”
“ Please come in.” She closed the door behind him.
“ Being a fellow Vulcan I thought it was appropriate that I come and see you. Perhaps I might be able to offer you a solution. I realize that you are not a full blooded Vulcan, but just the same I hope I can help.”
“ Thankyou Mr. Sook I appreciate it.”
“ I know it isn’t always easy to observe the ways of our ancestors who first decided to stop being a warlike people and to make logic the most important thing we believe in.”
“ You might as well know Mr. Sook that I am very afraid of spiders.”
“ I know we come from a planet that is hot and dusty and doesn’t lend itself to the ways of the flesh but being logical makes up for all that.”
“ I don’t know how it started, I just know I can’t be around them ever without wanting to scream.”
“ Logic is now part of the fabric of our people as we travel the avenue that will lead us away from emotion.”
“ Some of them are black and some are brown. I loath and detest them all.”
“ Whenever a Vulcan starts to slip back to the emotional ways of the people of the solar system he must reach down inside himself and pull the logic up to the surface.”
“ Some have red on their backs and some have white. One thing they all have in common is their hairy legs.”
“ So please think on my words. Logic is what you need to cleave to.”
“ Don’t get me stated on their webs, I think I will die if I get one in my room.”
“ Well Sub-Commander, I hope what I have said has been of some help to you, now I must get back to the bridge.”
“ Well thankyou Mr. Sook, it was very good of you.”
“ Not at all, perhaps we can mind meld sometime.”
“ Perhaps we can.”
With that he left her quarters and walked back up the hallway.
* * * *
It was the next day and the Captain and Beani-Poohs were having breakfast when Manzanna came in with his daughter.
“ May we join you Captain?” he asked.
“ Please do, Beani here loves the waffles whereas I prefer a nice plate of scrambled eggs on toast.”
A few moments later Manzanna and Bex were sitting down with their food and drinks.
“ So did you say you wanted to go to the planet Karrool?” the Captain asked.
“ You have a good memory. Yes if you could take us there, we would be very grateful, we are actually from that planet.”
“ So we will be taking you home?” he asked.
“ Yes it will be good to go back. I have not been there for many years. I found it hard to go back with my wife dead but now I have Bex it will wonderful to go back home.”
“ I can not eat anymore,” said Beani-Poohs, “ I should never have had that second waffle.”
“ I have a surprise for you Manzanna.” the Captain said.
“ Oh what could that be?”
“ I forgot to tell you the other day that we have your cargo in one of our holding bays.”
Manzanna stared. “ I thought it blew up with the ship?”
“ One of my thoughtful officers beamed it aboard at the same time we beamed you aboard.”
“ Do you know what this means for me Captain? It means we will have money to really make a fresh start. Thankyou so much.”
The Captain’s COM badge beeped. “ Hemorrhoid here.”
“ Captain we have a vessel on an intercept coarse, it is closing fast.”
The captain quickly swallowed another fork full of eggs. “ I’ll be right there.”
“ Sorry to eat and run, I’ll catch up with you later.” The Captain quickly left with Beani-Poohs not far behind.
“ We have a small craft on a pursuit course.” Mr. Sook said as the Captain stepped onto the bridge.
“ Let’s try hailing them Ensign Follicle. I have a hunch it is a ship from Salvaje coming to arrest Manzanna.
“ I have them sir,” said Ensign Follicle a few moments later.
“ On screen.”
It was Maiz. “ Captain may I beam aboard your ship?”
“ If you have come to take Manzanna back you are wasting your time, we are taking him and Bex to the planet Karrool.”
“ The reason for my being here has nothing to do with Manzanna. It’s Bex that I need to see.”
“ If you want to ride along with us you can store your ship in cargo bay 4.”
“ Thankyou Captain, I will do just that.”
It wasn’t too long later when the Captain and Beani-Poohs took a strangely polite Maiz to the Mess room to see Bex.
Bex was amazed when he came in. “ What is he doing here?” she said to the Captain, and then she turned to Maiz, “ I told you that I never want to see you again.”
Maiz seemed different now that he was away from his parents. “ I know you did, but I couldn’t sleep last night. The thought of life without you is more than I can bear.”
Bex stared at him and then said forcefully, “ I am not going back that awful planet with you, I did not go to the best schools so I could end up somebody’s servant.”
Maiz sat down opposite her and took her hands, his look sincere.“ I know I’ve treated you badly, please believe me I never considered that our customs could be wrong. I was brought up that way, but I can change if you will just give me a chance. Just instruct me in the way you would have me treat you…I can learn anything if it means you will marry me!”
There was a small silence as the two stared at each other. The young man’s entreaty was certainly impressive.
“ What about my father? He is regarded as a criminal on your planet and he did nothing but punch that cynical old man.”
“ I took care of that before I left. “ His hands tightened on hers, “ I convinced Cebolla to drop the charges and I told the authorities to do the same. This is the truth, I promise.”
“ You really did this?”
“ Yes! I would do anything for you. Once charges have been dropped there is no precedent to ever proceed with them ever again. Your father may safely return there at any time and be safe from prosecution.”
“ So they will not be pursuing us?”
“ No, not at all.”
“ I want to tell you something now, so just listen.” Bex looked at him in a direct way, which strangely reminded the Captain of the way Beani-Poohs often looked at him when she had something important to impart. “ I have lived my whole life waiting for my father to come and take me back to my home planet. It is happening now and I can not give up my father and I can not go back to your planet.”
They were all quiet as he absorbed this statement. In the kitchen there was a loud clatter as something dropped to the floor and some crew members in the corner applauded them, laughing. But here at this table it was as if they were in their own little world. Finally Maiz spoke.
“ Then I will come with you to your planet.”
“ Do you mean that?” Bex was amazed at this decision by a man who had been, up till then, very dominant and arrogant.
“ I’m trying to tell you that I love you and can’t live without you. I told you I will change and if that means living on your planet I can do that. I can’t live without you and I don’t want to try.” Maiz spoke passionately.
“ Oh Maiz, I can’t believe it!” she cried.
“ Believe it. You are my life, please marry me.”
“ YES!” she cried and with that that she got up from the table and threw herself into his arms and the two of them kissed and embraced. The mess room erupted into cheers and applause.
Manzanna stood to one side and they finally turned to him.
Maiz flushed as he said to him, “ I offer my sincere apologies for my treatment of you Sir. I wish to marry your daughter.”
Manzanna looked at his daughter’s happy face and smiled. “ It seems I have gained a son.”
The happy couple embraced again. There were more cheers.
Beani-Poohs was watching this with the Captain and she turned to him. “ That’s what I’m talking about,” she said.
The Captain pulled a strange face.
“ I know, we have to go slow.”
She laughed.
“ I can do that but not too slow, any slower than this and we’ll be in reverse.”
They both burst out laughing.
* * * *
It was a few days later and the DVD was orbiting the planet Karrool. Lid-Lidia and Beani-Poohs had gone down to the planet surface to properly say goodbye to Manzanna, Maiz and Bex.
Lid-Lidia had taken a walk with Manzanna and was now coming back to the house he had left so many years before.
“ Do you have to go back to your ship?” Manzanna asked her.
“ I can probably stay a few more hours.”
“ I do not mean in a few hours, I’m asking you to stay here permanently. I am asking you to marry me.”
This took Lid-Lidia by surprise. “ I’m sorry, but I have to go back, I have responsibilities on board the DVD.”
“ Would you like to stay here on Karrool and start a new life with me, I know I could be a good husband for you.”
“ That is a very sweet offer. Please don’t ask me to stay, my life is on board that ship exploring the universe.”
“ Do you have someone on your home planet?”
“ Well actually I do have a boyfriend named Wally who is waiting for me, but it’s more than that. I like you very much but I know I could never love you. I’m sorry, if I gave you the wrong impression.”
Manzanna tried to be gracious. “ I understand. I could have given you a fine life here. My cargo was very profitable. But I understand that you have to go. Please stay in touch if you can, I will be interested to hear of your adventures.”
“ I will Manzanna. Take care of yourself.”
“ Farewell Lid-Lidia. I will not forget you.”
Beani-Poohs was waiting for her as she walked into the town.
“ Two to beam up,” said Beani-Poohs.
The Captain answered “ I’ll see the two of you in a moment.”
“ I have a lock,“ said the transporter chief and pushed the control to activate the transporter.”
Suddenly they both noticed on the instruments that an unexpected ion storm had just blown up. It was very intense. “
“ Should I stop the process Captain? I have already started the transport.”
“ You can’t, to reverse now could be dangerous.”
Moments later the two girls started to appear on the transport pad, but before they could appear entirely they disappeared again.
“ Captain I am losing the lock.”
“ Try again.”
The girls partially appeared this time and vanished once again.
The Captain had a look of despair. “ Tell me you still have them?”
“ I’m sorry Captain, I have lost them.”
To be continued in Star Yawns 5